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Acts 18:10: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Is The Church Naked Today?

Friday, 21 December 2012 18:41

Is The Church Naked Today?

The question before us is: “Is the Church of our Lord Jesus, Naked today?” The answer might surprise you.

We are told that in these last days, God will pour out the Spirit on our sons and daughters and they shall prophesy and young men shall have visions and old men will dream dreams, Ac 2:17.

I woke up the other day from a dream. When I got up I asked the Lord, what is the meaning of this dream and He showed me the meaning was, is that God’s people are naked. Immediately, God brought to mind the Laodiceans, the church in chapter 3: 14-22 of the Revelation of Jesus. This is what it says in part;

Rev 3 : 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”…

The Laodicean church is one of the seven churches spoken about in chapter 2-3 of the book of Revelation. You see these churches were seven churches of the Apostle John’s day and that is who is writing the book of Revelation. These same seven churches also represent seven eras of time that the church of Jesus would go through up to today. The first church starts in John’s day and goes through the next 2,000 years. This church of the Laodiceans is the seventh and last church John talks about in Revelation and is looked at as our church today; it is not talking about a denomination or denominations. So in other words, what Jesus is saying to the Laodicean church is also what he is saying to us today. There is no praise for this church or anything good about this church, only correction from the Lord. This is also where the Lord Jesus is giving counsel to us. Did you catch that, Jesus is counseling us today. Will you take that counsel from Him?

I was then led to open the Bible to Ex 32: 5. This is what it said, “And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD”. Let me back up, Aaron has just made a golden calf, an “Idol” for the people, because the people of Israel were pressuring him to make one. The people wanted this because Moses was on the mountain a long time talking to God. They said, “…make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.” Ex 32: 1.

I was amazed because here is the first time the Hebrew's combine God and Idolatry. Mind you, this is not about the Hebrew's leaving God for idols but bringing God along to worship an Idol, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD”. We are doing the same thing today when we bring God along to worship on holidays He did not give us to worship on.

So with all that said you ask how does all that relate with being “Naked”. After reading Ex 32: 5, I felt I should keep reading and when I got to verse 25 it all became clear. Ex 5: 25 says, “25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)”.

This act of the people removed their garments of righteousness and protection from their enemies. We see later in 2 Kings 17 & 18, the king of Assyria captures the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdoms of Judah and all that was left was Jerusalem only. Look at it this way, the people had no clothes on and that also included no armor or swords as well. They also broke the first and second Commandment of God, Ex 20: 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Now in the New Testament we think about who are our enemies today? Does the same apply to us as did to Israel and Judah? Yes is does, God has not changed; He is the same then as He is today. Mal 3 .6, Heb 13:8 . Remember these are the words of Jesus here in Rev 3 : 14-22. Here in Rev 3 : 18-22 says this: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten (Heb 12:5,16 .): be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Wow, here is Jesus saying to us, the Laodicean Church today, to take counsel from Him. How many will listen to Him or His counsel. How many will say He is their Lord and master but will not take His advice and do what He says?

What is Chastening?

This is in scripture mostly linked with love and sonship, and implies 'instruction' and 'discipline.' He that loveth chasteneth. Pr 13:24 De 8:5 Heb 12:5-16 Re 3:19. "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest." Ps 94:12. The chastening at the time does not seem to be joyous but grievous, yet afterward it yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those exercised thereby. Heb 12:11 Joh 15:2 shews that a Christian may be chastened of the Father that he may bring forth more fruit.

If we let the Lord chasten us then we come into full age and are ready for the meat of the word and are able to discern between what is righteous and wicked. Mal 3:18 , Heb 5:14 .

The reason we let God make these changes in our lives is because we are now the Temple of God. 1Co 3:16 . There is not permitted anything impure, unclean, defileth, worketh abomination or maketh a lie in it. Lev 5:2 , Lev 10:10 , 2Co 6: 16-17, Eph 5:5 , 1Co 3:16, 17, 6: 19.